Aerial refueling via the probe and drogue method is known. In an exemplary refueling scenario, a refueling drogue receptacle connected to a refueling hose is unreeled from a refueling aircraft towards a receiver aircraft (an aircraft to be refueled), such as a fighter plane. The receiver aircraft has a refueling probe extending from the aircraft. The receiver aircraft maneuvers to the refueling drogue and inserts its refueling probe into the refueling drogue receptacle, at which point the refueling drogue receptacle “locks” onto the refueling probe (at least if there is sufficient drag force generated by the drogue to allow the receiver aircraft probe to push on the “over-center” rollers with enough force to activate the locking mechanism), and a transfer of fuel from the refueling aircraft to the receiver aircraft is conducted.
In the example above, it is desirable that the drogue remain as stationary as possible and/or that the drogue not rotate when extended from the refueling hose away from the refueling aircraft towards the receiver aircraft, at least before contact between the drogue and the probe is made. Unfortunately, the hose-drogue combination has a relatively large dynamic response to disturbances, so when the drogue is subjected to wind gusts and/or turbulence and/or refueling (tanker) aircraft wake, and/or bow wave effects, the motion of the drogue becomes somewhat unpredictable, as forces imparted onto the drogue by the air cause the drogue to move and/or rotate, thus making it difficult to position the refueling probe of the aircraft to be refueled into the refueling drogue. Both low frequency disturbances (e.g., bow wave, etc.) and high-frequency disturbances (e.g., turbulence, refueling aircraft wake, etc.) to the drogue create problems during refueling operations, creating disturbance responses in the drogue.
Thus, there is a need to reduce the disturbance response of a refueling drogue that has been extended on a refueling hose so that the movement of the drogue resulting from wind/turbulence is substantially reduced to improve the ease by which the refueling probe can be inserted in the refueling drogue.